The Last Guests is the fourth novel by New Zealand-born Australian author, J.P. Pomare. Lina’s dream of wedded bliss with Cain, a quiet family life in the lake house she inherited from her grandparents, has been dealt a few blows. Her sweet, loving elite soldier has returned from Afghanistan damaged, physically and psychologically.

The physical has cost. The mental, too: nightmares and secrets; and Cain’s personal training business isn’t his only unsuccessful gamble. Lina tries to relieve the financial strain with extra shifts in her job as a paramedic. A failed pregnancy, and a lacklustre love life: is it any wonder she seeks a little spice (and maybe something else) on a dating app?

It’s definitely a one-off. Except for one tiny thing…

Cain’s quick to notice the missing wedding ring, a family heirloom, but Lina covers. His SAS friend, Axel’s suggestion that they put the lake house on the WeStay website to rent out has Lina wary, but grateful for the distraction. The money would be welcome, and eventually, Lina dismisses worries over the horror stories at international WeStay homes and agrees. But she and Cain cannot possibly anticipate the terrifying experience ahead.

What a page-turner! Pomare gives the reader! Lots of twists and turns and distractions as Lina gets herself entangled in an increasingly complicated web with all the lies she feels compelled to tell. Will the consequences of her risky choice of self-indulgence gain Lina any sympathy with readers?

Pomare presents the concept of online streaming of candid video footage for paying viewers as scarily believable, and he’ll certainly have readers thinking twice about AirBnB-type services. This is a cleverly plotted thriller that will keep readers guessing right up to the last pages.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Hachette Australia.

I love a good page turner and especially one where you don’t know who dun it right till the end.
Lina and Cain are a young married couple struggling to make ends meet. Lina is a paramedic in Auckland, while Cain is trying to make a go of it as a trainer in his friends gym. When someone suggests they list, on WeStay, Lina’s inherited home on the shores of Lake Tarawera near Rotorua, she is at first reluctant. But it’s easy money and it will give Cain a sense of purpose getting it ready for their guests.
Someone however is watching them. Watching everything they do and that person knows all their secrets. Things they don’t want made known.
This really is a page turner and the twists took you in one direction then the next. I loved it.

#netgalley #thelastguests

I am sorry but I have to admit defeat with this one. It is going into DNF pile.

I tried, oh I really tried. I persevered for about 1/3 of the book but could not make myself go any further.

The setting is amazing - one of my favourite places on Earth - Auckland and Rotorua. The premise was promising. But...

I could not identify, like or follow any of the characters. Every single one of them has enough flaws and rot that you end up not feeling empathy or sympathy for them. The plot spreads so thin that it can't follow itself. There are so many branches of sub-plots, so many add-ons (like running stats of online forums or articles on war crimes??? whatever for) that it's hard to keep up.

Overall, the voice of the narrative, the pace, the suspense did not take me or make me to want to see the end.

I haven’t read anything by this author before but will definitely go looking for the previous ones. A good fast-paced thriller with the usual twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.

The Last Guests is a good concept and speaks to the modern generation of timeshare websites and apps. Do you ever really know whose house you’re staying in with these services, what is being monitored and who has access? Not really. That idea really appealed to me as a story but I found the characters to be quite problematic in ways that didn’t feel genuine but rather forced for the sake of it.

I was quite surprised when what would traditionally be the novel’s climax popped up in the middle of the book. I wasn’t surprised when most of the anticipation seemed to ebb away after that incident to the point of being a little bit ‘meh’ about the final ending.

The pacing and the two-dimensional nature of the characters did make me question how badly I wanted to finish The Last Guest at times but I persevered and the pay off what pretty predictable.

Being a novel set in New Zealand and written by a New Zealand author, I was really rooting for The Last Guests but it just didn’t tick enough boxes for me to really love it.

J.P. Pomare is a must read for me having loved all of his books to date. I was extremely excited to receive an early reading copy of The Last Guests which I devoured over two sittings. Renting out your holiday cabin on weekends for extra cash seemed like a great idea, but with all great ideas comes risk. What are people doing in your house while you are not there? The voyeuristic overtones immediately spark interest, does this really happen? Are people secretly watching you? It incites chills and makes you overthink every holiday rental you have ever booked.
J.P. Pomare has created another winning topic, his writing sends you down plenty of rabbit holes and keeps you guessing right until the last page. With lots of dubious characters to choose from you will trust no one and second guess every move. The Last Guests is a twisty thriller with lots to like, and if you are a watcher of people you are going to LOVE it! Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette AU for this ARC it is one I would highly recommend and is guaranteed to be one of 2021’s big sellers.

The Last Guests is my first book I've read from J.P Pomare and after hearing how brilliant his other books are, I just knew I would be sitting at the edge of the seat with this one.

Lina and Cain, are trying to make ends meet, after much deliberation they decide to put their lake house up for rent for small holiday stays.

But after having a few people staying, something sinister happens, and all attention falls back onto Lina and Cain.

It takes the scrutiny of the media, and as well as the peephole viewers for Lina and Cain to fight back and figure out once and for all who is behind this doing. And why are they blackmailing them with their secrets?

The Last Guests was a gripping page turner, and to make matters worse I was reading most of the book at night. Some parts of the book I was freaking completely out and I was literally scared to look outside. I haven't had a book to scare me this much in ages. If you love your thrillers, definitely go and read this one once it comes out.

The Last Guests comes out 28th July 2021

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette for the opportunity to read and review The Last Guest and thank you to J.P Pomare.

‘He is anybody, everybody, nobody.’

Lina (a paramedic) and Cain (a former member of the NZSAS) could do with some extra cash. Cain convinces Lina to put the home she has inherited from her grandfather at Lake Tarawera in New Zealand, on WeStay to rent out thus generating some additional income. While she is initially reluctant, Lina agrees. What could possibly go wrong? Well, as it turns out, plenty. Both Lina and Cain have secrets which the reader learns as the various threads of this story are untwisted.

But first, imagine your every move being caught on hidden cameras? Cameras installed in bedrooms and bathrooms, technology to cater for the tastes of every voyeur, or to track your every move. Lina quickly becomes caught up in a nightmare, while Cain is trying to deal with some demons of his own.
But strange things start happening, and secrets have a way of intruding into the present. One early action by Lina becomes a dangerous vulnerability as she constructs a very shaky house of cards to try to keep it secret. There is a twist in the tale and an ending which caught me by surprise.

‘Sometimes it’s the quietest alarms that shake you most.’

If you have ever worried about covert surveillance, and you enjoy tension-filled twisty tales, then you may also enjoy this.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

The concept of having hidden cameras watching your every move whilst you are having a great time in a hotel or Airbnb is not new, but it is no less terrifying, and I was excited to see what unique spin JP Pomare would put on the theme.

Lina (a paramedic) and her husband Caine (an ex-soldier) have been struggling financially, so they are reluctantly considering converting the house Lina has inherited from her grandparents into an Airbnb, on the recommendation of close friends who are making a good income from theirs. Whilst Lina has her reservations about letting strangers into her childhood home, Caine is excited to collect some easy money. Things soon start going wrong when one of Lina's past secrets is catching up with her in her present life - and without giving too much away here, let's just say that it involves the couple's new venture, some hidden cameras and a sinister online community.

I really enjoyed the way Pomare slowly ratcheted up tension as Lina's secret is catching up with her and she is getting more and more entangled in her lies. It is painful to watch when characters get caught in their own webs, but it also makes for some great suspense if it is skilfully woven into the story, which was certainly the case here. And whilst I was ready to judge Lina on her actions, her motives became clearer later on and it was hard not to feel some empathy. The New Zealand setting also added something unique to the story, which I really enjoyed, especially the contrast between the idyllic lake landscape and the sinister goings on in the lake house.

Pomare's writing flows and I was soon caught up in the story, which held plenty of red herrings and a very clever twist at the end that came as a total curveball and knocked me over. I love it when a book surprises me!

All in all, THE LAST GUESTS was a fast-paced mystery which cleverly uses our fears of the dark side of technology and the web to terrify readers and ensures that I feel like unscrewing every light socket in every airbnb I will ever stay in to check for hidden cameras. Pomare's characters are all flawed and complex and yet also relatable, which made for a rich and enjoyable reading experience. The final twist added some spice and set the story apart from others in the genre. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from this author in future.

“If you want the truth of the matter, it’s already out there”.

It’s not often you come across a book that is menacing and could seem true to life. When you think about the ways in which social media and cameras infiltrate our almost every move, “The Last Guests” could seem plausible. J.P.Pomare has done it again with introducing us to Lina and Cain. Lina is a paramedic and we meet her via a one night stand with Daniel, whom she meets on a dating app. We also get a glimpse into a strange set up, unbeknownst to Lina. She is married to Cain, a former NZ SAS officer who seems to be struggling with some PTSD and getting back into civilian live. Struggling for cash, and with more than a few issues between them, decide to open Lina’s family home to the public for holiday rentals. Through peepholes we catch glimpses of their lives in the past, and connections and in-between in the present –like a quick, narrow viewpoint. Through a different kind of peephole, we watch the drama unfold through hidden cameras. Lina is hard to warm to and it think this is key in the story and motivation of this book. There are so many secrets attached to Lina, and it builds and builds until everything is sucked into the vortex. She seems to be a fighter, yet at the same time is naïve. Her back story of her mother and grandpa is sprinkled throughout, and this is where more depth could have helped her character along. And really, not one character is without blame. And I think that us what adds to the ‘realism’ of the plot. Plus it was fabulous to read about Tawarera, reminded me of travels in New Zealand.

2.5 stars rounded up.

There was a lot going on in this book, and a lot of it didn't make a whole lot of sense. If you're looking for a creepy home invasion story, this isn't it. If you're looking for a 'fatal attraction' style romance gone wrong kind of story, this isn't it. If you're looking for a little of both, with a paranoia ridden woman who is both unreliable and irritating, this is it. I felt confused from beginning to end and I'm still not sure what happened.

**Thanks to Hachette Australia and Netgalley for my auto-approval.

Lina and Cain are renting in Auckland and are struggling financially. On the recommendation of friends Cain suggest they set up a WeStay for the house that belonged to Lina’s grandparents at Lake Tarawera which is a short distance from Rotorua. Lina isn’t so keen as she wants them to move there once they have a family, but getting and staying pregnant hasn’t happened yet. Subsequently Lina agrees and so a WeStay is set up.
Although there are some tensions between Lina and Cain, everything seems to be quite normal - that is, until it isn’t…… Lina meets up with a guy called Daniel and although it was to only be a one night stand he seems to want to keep seeing her and then things start to get weird and complicated.
Someone has put a series of camera into WeStay homes and there are ‘people’ watching what is taking place. What happens next is a series of twists and turns that turn the story on its head and back again! The story follows an unexpectedly path and the ending is even more unexpected.
An excellent read and suspenseful.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Australia for a copy to read and review.

What a fantastically creepy read! This takes any paranoia you may have about staying in an Air BnB & dials it up. There were lots of twists, and Cain & Lina each had secrets they wanted to keep - I struggled to put this down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next!

An eerily realistic thriller from J. P. Pomare! This was my first Pomare novel and it definitely won’t be my last! Lucky for me I have a few waiting for me on my bookshelf!

Do you ever feel like someone is watching you? Yes? Well this book has captured that feeling perfectly! I loved this one and if I didn’t have to sleep I would have read it in one sitting. The Last Guests had me hooked from the beginning and the ending was brilliant! I loved the AirBnB theme, which is extremely relevant in today's society. It is a must read for fans of psychological thrillers!

A massive thank you to Hachette Australia for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Make sure you get your hands on this one when it is released July 28, 2021.

The Last Guests is a twisty psychological thriller with edgy realism by Kiwi–Aussie crime writer JP Pomare (well, he’s a New Zealander living in Melbourne, Australia, so we’ll claim him). This book was my first read of this author and it certainly won’t be my last. In The Last Guests, newlyweds Lina and Cain are as desperate to start a family as they are to make ends meet. They decide to make their family vacation home on Lake Tarawera available for holiday rentals, which seems an easy enough way to bring in extra income. But nothing is easy or straightforward in a marriage in which both parties are keeping secrets – secrets with dangerous consequences – and when Lina and Cain’s overnight stay at the lake house takes a deadly turn, their troubles are really only just beginning… I highly enjoyed The Last Guests and recommend it to readers who love psychological thrillers, noirish crime, and New Zealand crime fiction.
The Last Guests releases on 28 July 2021. Advance review copy received with thanks from the publisher and NetGalley. #NetGalley #TheLastGuests

I’ve often said that I don’t find scary books scary. This - this was scary because it was so realistic! Who hasn’t stayed at an Airbnb? Right from the prologue where we learn somebody is fitting very small covert cameras in the all the rooms of a house to be on holiday let (even the bathrooms) the plot sucks you in.

The story follows the fortunes of Lina, a paramedic, and husband Cain, a former SAS officer who is having trouble settling back into civilian life. They live in Auckland, New Zealand. Finance’s are an issue and some good friends recommend putting the house Lina grew up in and inherited from her grandfather, situated at Lake Tarawera, up for holiday let on the Westay platform. So that’s what they do. At the same time Lina has a strange one night stand stand with a man called Daniel Moore. You get the feeling it is transactional for her, she doesn’t want to see him again, but you don’t get the reason why until much later. Clearly she doesn’t want Cain to find out.

A sense of menace begins to creep over you as Daniel starts to kind of stalk Lina. She needs to get rid of him. But he’s getting more pushy. You are also privy to what some of the cameras are picking in various houses around the world. It’s a very uncomfortable feeling. Lina and Cain have a few concerns about the last guests at their Tarawera house so they head there for a weekend to prepare it for the next guests when a shocking home invasion occurs and someone dies. It is quite visceral and I felt genuinely afraid for the characters. This is all tied up with the cameras.

But the book still has some twists to give. No one is blameless in this story and the secrets are yet to come out. Its just so very menacing. I really enjoyed this rather dark tale because it feels like it could happen to anyone. I’m not sure I’ll ever feel quite comfortable in an Airbnb again! Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Australia for the free copy of the book, I am providing this review voluntarily.

Pomare does suspense well, and this book was an intriguing read. I love domestic suspense books, with interactions between spouses, and their day to day to life, and creepiness! Loved this one, kept me turning the pages, and I definitely recommend this creepy read!

I would have given this 3.5 starts but there are no halves, so 3 it is. I am conflicted about this book. If you can read a book and overlook little things that wouldn't happen in reality, then you will find this fast paced and enjoy it immensely. Me on the other hand felt there were a few holes in the plot and questioned things.

It is a good holiday read. A cautionary tale about the air bnb craze currently taking hold. You really don't know who owns these short stay rentals and you also as a host, don't really know who you are inviting into your rental. I was on the edge of my seat a few times in the book, with the cross twists And turns. Overall, I'm sure most will find this An entertaining read.

Thank you #netgalley, #hachetteaustralia and #jppomare for the copy of this book.

Do you ever feel invisible eyes on you, watching your every move?

Cain and Lina are a married couple struggling with money woes. When their close friends mention using Lina's childhood lake house as a luxury accommodation, it seems like a good idea after much thought and planning. But all too soon, they are caught in a nightmare that they can't seem to escape.

I don't want to give too much away as I think going into this book blind is the best way.

I liked that the main characters were flawed and broken with weaknesses. It made the story more believable. It's full of twists that keep you turning the page and before you know it, it's 6am the next morning and you've been reading all night long! Its creepy, atmospheric and the ending is brilliant.

I gave this book 4 stars because I felt a plot point wasn't resolved that well and some parts were not quite believable. But other than that, a brilliant book!

This story follows Lina who is a paramedic and her husband Cain an ex SAS member. Lina reluctantly puts up her inherited lake house for hire on an app as money troubles arise since Cain's return from active duty. As the story develops there is a secret that builds and is under threat of being exposed. It was a good build and a suspenseful and compelling to read, however I was a little disappointed with the twist. Overall I really enjoyed reading The Last Guests but it is not my favorite work of J.P Pomare.